In summary: 71 percent of households see cyberattack risks in the power grid; digital transformation is supported by the majority but must be coupled with high security and data protection standards.
A Bitkom survey shows: 71 percent of households regard cyberattacks as a risk to power supply, 74 percent fear physical sabotage. At the same time, pressure is growing for faster digitalization of energy infrastructure.
According to a survey commissioned by Bitkom, consumers assess the security of critical energy infrastructure as substantially at risk. 74 percent of households regard the German power grid as vulnerable to targeted physical attacks. 71 percent see a risk from cyberattacks. These perceptions were triggered among other things by incidents such as fires at power infrastructure facilities that have highlighted the vulnerability of these installations.
For compliance officers, this survey result is relevant as it reflects increased public attention to NIS2-relevant protective measures in the energy sector. 93 percent of respondents explicitly demand that security aspects be weighted equally to climate protection and economic viability in the reconstruction of the energy system. In parallel, 72 percent report that the pace of the energy transition to date has been too slow.
Digitalization of energy infrastructure is evaluated as an opportunity for the energy transition by 89 percent. Already 61 percent can imagine using smart meters, but approximately 50 percent express data protection concerns. With flexible electricity tariffs, willingness is high: 90 percent would adapt their electricity consumption to low prices; 85 percent would allow devices to operate automatically when electricity is available at low cost.
For regulators and operators of critical infrastructure, a second field of action follows from the survey: nine out of ten households want to be able to track their electricity consumption as easily as fuel consumption of a car. This goes hand in hand with questions on data processing and transparency that need to be clarified when implementing digital systems under NIS2 requirements. Currently, only 15 percent rate current energy policy positively; one-fifth sees Germany in 2024 as better prepared for energy crises than in 2022.
Source: www.it-daily.net · Published July 4, 2026
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